"We defended like a team that wanted it"
Fiorentina end a run of three straight defeats to Juventus with a 1-0 win at the Artemio Franchi, Cristian Fernández scoring the only goal.
Juventus had won the last three meetings between these two, and for long spells they had the ball here as well. But possession without a shot on target is just decoration. Fiorentina's back four, marshalled by Simone Esposito, kept the visitors at arm's length, and Esposito's five interceptions told the story of a defence that refused to be opened.
The goal came on 34 minutes, Cristian Fernández finishing the move. It was enough. Fiorentina's shape held after the break, and though Juventus finished with five at the back in search of an equaliser, they never found one. "We defended like a team that wanted it," Esposito said. For Fiorentina, a first win over Juventus since 2061, and a clean sheet to go with it.